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Human Rights & War Crimes

Synopsis: The famous Nazi-Doctor Dr. Josef Mengele - the "death angel of Auschwitz", who killed more than 300.000 people - comes back from his hide out in Argentina to Germany as a 87 year old man. He must stand up in front of a court for his crimes. The young solicitor Peter Rohm has to defend him. But Peter Rohm - himself an expert on Josef Mengele and his crimes - feels unable to do this. When he decides to take on the case he endangers not only the relationship to his wife but also their lifes. A fictional story around the non-fictional person of Josef Mengele who died in 1979. - www.imdb.comRelease: 1999Genre: Drama Crime ThrillerActors: Kai Wiesinger Gotz George Karoline EichhornDirector: Roland Suso Richter

Synopsis: About a 1839 mutiny aboard a slave ship that is traveling towards the northeastern coast of America. Much of the story involves a court-room drama about the free man who led the revolt. - www.imdb.comRelease: 1997Genre: Drama History MysteryActors: Djimon Hounsou Matthew McConaughey Anthony HopkinsDirector: Steven SpielbergWatch Trailer

Synopsis: The history of the United Nations highlighting the gap between the good intentions and ideals of its inception and the sad reality of its present state of inefficiency and corruption. - www.imdb.comRelease: 2005Genre: DocumentaryFeatures: Ron Silver Kofi Annan Romeo DallaireDirector: Kevin Knoblock

Synopsis: The familiar story of Lieutenant Bligh, whose cruelty leads to a mutiny on his ship. This version follows both the efforts of Fletcher Christian to get his men beyond the reach of British retribution, and the epic voyage of Lieutenant Bligh to get his loyalists safely to East Timor in a tiny lifeboat. - www.imdb.comRelease: 1984Genre: Adventure HistoryActors: Mel Gibson Anthony Hopkins Laurence OlivierDirector: Roger Donaldson

Synopsis: The war is suddenly over for two Allied soldiers injured in Burma and sent to a remote jungle hospital. Facing the battle of recovery, the easy-going Yank and the proud yet stubborn Scotsman form a bond with the other patients and Army staff.Release: 1949Genre: DramaActors: Ronald Reagan Patricia Neal Richard ToddDirector: Vincent Sherman

Synopsis: High-profile attorney Claire Kubik puts her career on the line to defend her husband Tom Kubik after it is revealed that he is a Marine named Ron Chapman wanted for the murder of Latin American villagers.Release: 2002Genre: Drama Crime MysteryActors: Jim Caviezel Morgan Freeman Ashley JuddDirector: Carl FranklinWatch Trailer

Synopsis: Emily Crane is fired after refusing to give names to a 1951 House Un-American Activities Committee, and takes a part-time job as companion to an old lady. One day her attention is drawn to a noisy argument being conducted largely in German in a neighbouring house, the more so since one of those involved is her main senator prosecutor. Starting to look into things, she gradually enlists the help of FBI officer Cochran who was initially detailed to check her out. Just as well when things turn nasty.Release: 1988Genre: Drama ThrillerActors: Kelly McGillis Jeff Daniels Mandy PatinkinDirector: Peter Yates

Synopsis: A former Korean War POW is brainwashed by Communists into becoming a political assassin. But another former prisoner may know how to save him. - www.imdb.comRelease: 1962Genre: Drama Mystery RomanceActors: Frank Sinatra Laurence Harvey Janet LeighDirector: John Frankenheimer

Synopsis: In 1944, a German colonel loads a train with French art treasures to send to Germany. The Resistance must stop it without damaging the cargo. - www.imdb.comRelease: 1964Genre: Thriller War ActionActors: Burt Lancaster Paul Scofield Jeanne MoreauDirector: John FrankenheimerWatch Trailer

Synopsis: Arthur Goldman is a rich Jewish industrialist, living in luxury in a Manhattan high-rise. He banters with his assistant Charlie, often shocking Charlie with his outrageousness and irreverence about aspects of Jewish life. Nonetheless, Charlie is astonished when, one day, Israeli secret agents burst in and arrest Goldman for being not a Jewish businessman but a Nazi war criminal. Whisked to Israel for trial, Goldman forces his accusers to face not only his presumed guilt but their own. - www.imdb.comRelease: 1975Genre: DramaActors: Maximilian Schell Lois Nettleton Lawrence PressmanDirector: Arthur Hiller

Synopsis: In 1789, the HMS Bounty sets sail under Captain William Bligh. Bligh is the cruelest taskmaster and his cruelties become more than first mate Christian can bear. After the Captain causes the death of the ship’s doctor, the crew stage a mutiny, with Christian in charge. Bligh is set adrift in an open boat with a handful of his loyal officers and limited supplies.Release: 1935Genre: Drama Adventure History Actors: Charles Laughton Clark Gable Franchot ToneDirector: Frank LloydWatch Trailer

Synopsis: An American woman, trapped in Islamic Iran by her brutish husband, must find a way to escape with her daughter as well. - www.imdb.comRelease: 1990Genre: Drama ThrillerActors: Sally Field Alfred Molina Sheila RosenthalDirector: Brian Gilbert

Synopsis: In the mid-1960s, President Johnson and his foreign-policy team debate the decision to withdraw from or escalate the war in Vietnam. - www.imdb.comRelease: 2002Genre: DramaActors: Michael Gambon Donald Sutherland Alec BaldwinDirector: John Frankenheimer

Synopsis: A dramatization of the final days of Sophie Scholl, one of the most famous members of the German World War II anti-Nazi resistance movement, The White Rose. - www.imdb.comRelease: 2005Genre: Drama Crime BiographyActors: Julia Jentsch Fabian Hinrichs Gerarld AlexanderDirector: Marc RothemundWatch Trailer

Introduction

Human Rights law involves that area of international law that seeks to set normative rules and values for people's basic rights, inter alia, to freedom of conscience and freedom from bodily harm, two overarching topics that may be broken down into many sub-topics or related topics, such as the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women, and the rights of the child.

The topic of international human rights law includes international conventions and decisions of international tribunals which, analogizing to the common law, might be termed "primary law." In addition, commentary and research, what might be termed "secondary sources" in the common law, will be found in abundance in both treatises and journal articles.

In addition, international human rights law has very good web resources, a selection of which will be provided in this guide.

Introductory Materials

The following webpages provide good resources for starting research in Human Rights Law:

CountryReviews, an up-to-date series of publications for each country including demographic, political, economic, business, cultural, and environmental information; CountryWire, which provides daily news coverage for every country in the world as well as a significant news archive; and statistical data sets that allows the creation of customized charts.